Once a month, at least through the fall, we're featuring a food item that's available at a Capital Region farmers market — but usually not supermarkets — and offering suggestions for cooking with it.

Spotlight: Lion's mane mushroom.

What is it: A member of the tooth-fungus group of mushrooms, the lion's mane grows in globular shapes with droopy spikes instead of gills. Wild examples that grow on hardwood trees, including beeches, can become as big as basketballs or larger. In addition to being prized for its taste, the lion's mane has become the focus of medical research. It contains compounds that studies have shown contribute to nerve regeneration in the brain, increased cognitive ability, the treatment of dementia and the regulation of blood levels of lipids and glucose. The dried extract of lion's mane mushrooms is sold in capsule form in health food stores.

What to do with it: Saute over medium heat with olive oil until the edges caramelize and start to crispen, then deglaze with sake or white wine and finish with a swirl of butter. Roasting works well, too. Because lion's mane mushrooms are dense, cooking takes longer than with more widely familiar mushrooms, including shiitake and button. Some people insist it tastes like lobster, and most agree that the texture is very similar to lobster or monkfish. The mushroom's meatiness makes it a good substitute for pork in Chinese dishes.

Where to find it: Mariaville Mushroom Men booth at the Troy Waterfront Farmers Market on Saturdays and, on Sundays, at the Schenectady Greenmarket and the new Spa City Farmer's Market on the grounds of the Lincoln Baths in Saratoga Springs.

Price: $32 a pound. A quarter-pound chunk serves three or four people as a side dish.